to be scared to death our childminder has erected a swimming pool in her garden?

[NotAnotherNewNappy]

Just picked the DS's up from our normally lovely CM to find she now has a pool in her garden

It's one of those big paddling pools (about 3 foot high, 8 foot wide - I only had a quick look). She explained it was for the bigger kids and that she bought the bigger size so DS (14mo) wouldn't be able to climb into it. Now the thought of DS somehow managing to push a step to it and climb in unnoticed has left me feeling queasy. I also have a 4yo DD, but I think she's big enough to stand up in it... But does this mean it's safe for her?

AIBU? I have suffered PND and anxiety so have no idea. All I know is drowning is the second most common reason for death among young children and that if she'd had the bloody thing when I was looking for a CM then I'd never have hired her.

have another

trixy the bath exchange was with reference to kids that are competent swimmers. So the danger is of falling, knocking themselves unconscious and then drowning...surely as likely to happen in the bath as a pool.

But for some reason one is seen as bad parenting and the othe perfectly reasonable

Jupiter - if your child drowned, would you feel it was okay as you hadn't been "paranoid and neurotic?"

Jupiterscock - it's about being aware of risks and managing them properly, not being paranoid and neurotic.

Yes, cars are dangerous. That's why DS is strapped into a car seat, why I try to drive safely, why I avoid drinking alcohol or taking prescription / over the counter medication that can impair reactions if I'm going to be driving, why I make sure my car is serviced, and why I'm careful crossing the road.

Swimming pools / paddling pools / ponds in the garden are also dangerous, particularly so for small chilldren. Small children are often fascinated by water, and lack awareness of the possible dangers.

It's not unreasonable for a parent to be concerned about how to manage that risk, whether it's by fencing off the pool so an unattended child can't access it, by putting a rigid cover over the pool (not the soft sort that can sink under the weight of a child and entangle them underwater), or by removing the hazard altogether.

Being completely unconcerned about leaving a small child in a garden with an accessible pool isn't too dissimilar to being unconcerned about driving a small child around in a car without the child being restrained by a seatbeat or car seat IMHO.

If she has a pool that size it has to comply with pool fencing regs. You can find out what they are from your local council.

HOw many small children is she looking after? YOu said it was mainly older ones?

Have a jupiter.

My dd (12)was badly injured in a school trip crash..

As a cm I still wouldn't dream of getting a pool.

One doesn't negate or explain the other.. Accidents happen.

Sara, I was also talking about competent swimmers. You are aware that competent swimmers can still drown in pools without knocking themselves unconscious?

thebody. I'm sorry to hear that.

Thanks trixy, have posted on this before so don't want to go on but have to say for me a big pool would be a no no.

As an ex cm, gave up after dds accident, I minded 4 littlies, you have to have eyes in the back if your head and a pool for me would be a nightmare. Sure some cms could cope but personally be too much stress and responsibility, other peoples kids and all that.

Sorry - haven't read all, but my parents have a pool at a shared holiday house and it has to be fully fenced with a locked gate, otherwise they are not insured against any accidents. I don't know about the raised type of pools but I see you say she may be in charge of 6 children at any one time over the summer. I definitely would not be happy that she would be able to fully supervise young children in this scenario.

Jupiterscock - it's about being aware of risks and managing them properly, not being paranoid and neurotic.

Yeah, this. We don't refuse to take our child in the car, we don't ban her from water - but we strap her into a car seat suitable for her age and drive sensibly, and we take her into pools with one of us supervising her closely at all times. We don't leave her unsupervised around water, and we won't for quite a few years to come. Not because she's certain to drown, but because she could drown so quickly and so quietly that if we weren't aware within seconds, we'd be too late to save her. Yes that sends chills down my spine, and no I don't think I'm being neurotic!

Interesting thread as I've had a wooden above ground pool for years and I am just in the throes of becoming a childminder! My first pool was when my youngest was 18 months old. It was a 15' round and 3' deep Intex frame pool. All three children learned to swim in it. Once they could all swim quite competently, I had a 20' x 12' x 4' high wooden pool built with is 12' in ground but the rest is above ground (approx. 3 feet). I did it this way so that no-one could fall in. You physically have to climb up to get into the pool. Never ever left the children unsupervised in all the years I've owned a pool. I even had a toilet put in the summerhouse so that I didn't have to go indoors leaving the pool area unsupervised. Having had a pool in my garden for 11 years, we have never had a problem because I just won't take risks.
If I become a childminder, I wouldn't let the children I am minding use the pool at all. It will be covered up while they are here and the children would be supervised 100% of the time while in the garden. I am currently looking into the cost of a safety cover. If I have to go inside and get something, then they would all have to come inside with me. That would be the rule. My back doors would be locked and the keys placed high up so they couldn't reach them.
I will be cotacting OFSTED about it but I am sure there must be some childminders who own pools.